


Not an Act

by shickzander



Category: Dr. STONE (Manga), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Crossover, It's mostly MHA so Dr Stone fans can pass i don't mind, M/M, Multi, i just needed a sniper, shhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 13,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25769779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shickzander/pseuds/shickzander
Summary: After almost getting assassinated, famous actor Kirishima Eijirou must hire a bodyguard. His top choice? A freelance assassin by the name of Bakugou Katsuki. After all, who better to protect against an assassin than another assassin.Bakugou is reluctant to take a job so far from his usual ones. He’s used to killing, not protecting. But he’s curious. What could some dumb actor have possibly done to need protection against an assassination?“Haha ass ass in.” -you, a 12 year old boy“Shut up ur like 12.” -me, even tho I also laughed at the butt joke.
Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Jirou Kyouka/Kaminari Denki, Stanley Snyder/Dr. Xeno
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

Kirishima would never forget the silence that followed in the bullet’s wake. One second he was at a press conference, announcing his next movie, some superhero flick with him playing the sidekick, and the next, he was staring at the bullet hole just behind his head.

He instantly knew what this was about.

“Get down!” The silence of the crowd was broken when Kirishima’s agent shouted those two words. Kirishima dropped behind the podium, knowing it’s plywood surface wouldn’t do much against an assassin’s bullet.

He was scared, but he had a feeling that this was a warning shot. They wouldn’t kill him yet.

Yet.

Which was why Kirishima found himself in the part of town where all the underground stuff went down. He pulled his mask further up his nose, hoping nobody would recognize him. How would they? He also had sunglasses and a baseball cap. There was nothing left of the man he was in his appearance.

“This guy is kind of hard to deal with. I’ll do the talking.” Taishiro told him. Kirishima nodded and followed his agent down an alley, which ended in a large iron door. When he knocked, a tiny rectangle opened up and a pair of dark eyes peered through.

“What do you want?” Asked a low, slightly gravelly voice.

“We’re here to see him.” Taishiro explained.

“What’s your name?”

“We have an appointment under Fatgum.”

“Ah.”

The door creaked open, revealing a lanky man with black hair and clothing. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a while.

“Is this the client? Seriously?” The man smirked beneath his endless stubble. “Good fucking luck I guess.”

Kirishima shrunk even closer to his agent. He was nervous but it was the right amount of nervous. This was the lions den, and he was entering it covered in steaks.

For all he knew, this guy was the one who had been hired to kill him in the first place.

“This way.” Taishiro whispered, leading Kirishima through a few hallways and up a set of stairs. 

When they finally reached their destination, Kirishima was surprised to see that the only thing keeping the public out was a door guard, a practical maze of a building, and a single frosted glass door.

This guy was supposed to be one of the top players in his industry. Surely he had enemies, hadn’t he?

“Are you my twelve o’ clock?” A gruff voice asked as the pair entered the office space. It came from a high backed chair, which was turned to face the wall of bookshelves, packed tightly with spines that Kirishima couldn’t read from where he was standing.

This man on the other side of the chair back was one of the most dangerous in the world. He had probably taken more lives than he could count. Somehow, Kirishima found himself stepping even closer to Taishiro. At least his agent wasn’t nervous. He had told Kirishima not to speak, but the redhead didn’t think he could if he wanted to.

“I’m Taishiro, and this is my client, Kirishima Eijirou.” Taishiro introduced. “I was hoping to hire you for a very important job.”

The chair spun around, and Kirishima was surprised at who he saw. This guy wasn’t some old geezer with scars all over his face or some dark trench coat. It was just a guy about his age wearing sweatpants and a black t-shirt. THIS was the world’s top assassin? Just some kid?

The blond leaned forward, steeping his fingers like a villain in a bad movie.

He grinned a Cheshire Cat grin before speaking.

“I don’t take just any jobs, you know. You’re gonna have to do your best to convince me.” He crossed his legs, leaning back in the chair. “So, go on, make me want you.”


	2. Two

“We need you to act as a bodyguard for this young man for a short”-

“Sorry. No. I’m an assassin. Not some wimp’s entourage. It’s not in my job description.” The blond shook his head, turning the chair away again.

“I know it’s not your usual duty, but he’s in huge danger currently, and we were hoping that an assassin would know better than anybody how to avoid getting assassinated.” Taishiro continued to explain. He was faltering a little bit, however, and it wouldn’t be long until he had lost his audience completely. It was time for Kirishima to step up and steal the show.

“Please,” he begged, pulling down his mask and taking off his sunglasses, “I’ve gotten into some big shit and I need protection until it all blows over. You might not kill anybody, or you might have to kill a few, but if I live long enough for this all to blow over, I promise I’ll be indebted to you for as many days as I still stand.”

The blond stared at him for a long time, ruby on ruby, trying to figure out his motives. Taishiro looked a little disappointed that Kirishima had disobeyed his orders so quickly, but the redhead ignored it. He had more important things.

“Surely you want to do more than just kill, right?”

At this, the blond laughed the sort of laugh that was filled with the cockiness and attitude of somebody praised since birth.

“You think I do this because I have some kind of duty to the world, don’t you? I do it because I’m good at it.”

“So, you’re saying that you wouldn’t be good at this?”

“That’s not what I’m saying at all! I’d be great at it. I’m great at everything.”

“Then prove it. Come work for me.”

The blond huffed. “Fine. I’ll work for you. I’m not a coward.”

“We’ll see about that.” Kirishima smirked. He had captured the upper hand from the most dangerous weapon in the world, and he was damn proud of it.

He stuck out his arm for a handshake, which the blond took, still caught up in what he felt was a win.

“I’m Kirishima Eijirou. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

“Bakugou Katsuki. And I doubt it’ll be the same for me.”

•••

“How did you do manage that?” Taishiro asked when the pair finally left Bakugou’s hideout. They had spent about an hour in there, going over the game plan.

“I’m an actor, Taishiro.” Kirishima stated, making sure his mask was still tight on his face. “I have to get to know people in order to act as they would, and cocky, full of themselves kinda guys are easy to figure out.”

“If I’m being honest, I didn’t think you could be so manipulative.”

“I didn’t either, but my life is on the line here. Other lives too. My integrity means nothing compared to that.” Kirishima declared.

“You’ve grown quite a lot since I met you.” Taishiro put his hand on Kiri’s shoulder.

It was true, but mostly because Taishiro had been at his side for as long as his career had flourished. Taishiro had MADE him who he was. After his parents had died, he took Kirishima in, treated him like his own, and helped him pursue his dream. Taishiro had been the only one Kirishima could trust with the secret he had uncovered.

At least...for now.


	3. Part 3

Bakugou was to meet up with Kirishima at a fucking grocery store of all places. He had wanted to stage a casual meetup so it looked, to the public eye, like they were just friends, not a business relationship.

Bakugou had never really needed to grocery shop before. He had always been fed or had food delivered, so he didn’t know how to act. He picked up a few fruits here and there, inspecting them and putting them back, hoping he didn’t look suspicious. It didn’t help that he had a delinquent type of appearance. He felt stares on him every once in a while, and tried his best to keep moving. He even tossed an ingredient or two into his basket to make it seem like he was a paying customer with a mission at hand.

All the time, he kept his eyes out for Kirishima without making it too obvious. He had only seen the guy’s face so he had to keep his gaze sharp.

If Bakugou was being honest, he was surprised at how young the guy was. Normally, his clients were adults, politicians and billionaires who wanted him to get rid of their enemies. And he had. But this was the first time he had worked for somebody who only wanted death for the sake of protection. It was going to be a different job from anything he had ever done.

The only reason he had taken it was because he was curious. This guy had come across the wrong kind of information. Normally, he was the kind of guy Bakugou would be hired to kill, another nameless face on a long list of his victims.

Bakugou picked up an apple and set it into his basket.

“I like your bracelet. Where’s it from?”

He looked toward the speaker to see his client smiling at him. He hadn’t seen him without a baseball cap, so he was surprised to discover that his hair was bright red, sticking up everywhere like the nest of a rat. The fact that he willingly left the house with a mop like that, really said a lot about his intelligence.

His teeth were pointy too. Bakugou wondered if they were filed that way or if they were natural.

He also looked a little familiar, but Bakugou couldn’t place him.

“Is that how you talk to strangers?” Bakugou stared this loser down, trying to calculate his weaknesses and his strengths. The pair were about the same height, same build, and same age, but there was no way Kirishima was as suited to kill as he was.

“All the time. Where did you get the bracelets?”

Bakugou looked down at his arm, at the series of leather bracelets on his wrist. “Oh...I made these,”

“Are you serious?! They’re so cool. Do you take orders for them?”

“I...uh...” Bakugou blinked. “They’re not hard to make.”

“Oh! Maybe you could show me sometime.”

The blond’s face went blank. He wasn’t sure how to respond. Was this a natural way to make friends or was this shitty haired bozo just brainless?

If this was a real encounter, he would have brushed it off as some weirdo trying to win him over to a religion or some shit, but knowing that he was supposed to come out of this as acquaintances with this guy meant he had to play along.

“I...uh...” Weirdly enough, acting wasn’t Bakugou’s strong suit. He knew it was a useful skill for his job, but he also found posing as staff or otherwise forgettable people worked wonders. He had never NEEDED to act. Maybe, if he got anything out of this, it would be some pointers from this red loser. Bakugou had done a little bit of research on him since taking on the job. He always made sure he knew his clients just as much as his victims. The guy in front of him wasn’t exactly a huge actor. He was in a few flics here and there, but never as a lead. Most of the info Bakugou dug up from a quick google search was about the assassination attempt. The conspiracy theories alone had made him more famous than any of his movies ever had.

“So, maybe we can meet up sometime...like at a cafe or something...” Kirishima leaned forward, eyelids heavy in an expression Bakugou didn’t think he had seen on anybody before. “Do you want my number?”

“U-uh Yeah...your number.” Bakugou fumbled in his jacket for a paper and a pencil, finding them in the inside pocket. He handed them to Kirishima who scribbled something down and returned them.

“I’ll call you tonight.” He winked.

And, as though he had channeled a person he didn’t know he was, Bakugou’s face heated up. “Yeah. It’s a date.”


	4. Four

Okay, Kirishima would admit before anybody else that pulling out the date card was a mistake. But Bakugou had been fumbling so badly and it was the only way to make the behaviour look natural, but now he had to pretend to date a guy he barely knew. This wasn’t going to be a good move for his career either. He had fans and some of those fans wouldn’t like him being in a relationship. But urging Bakugou out of his shell enough to go along with the plan had been tough. It was clear that socializing wasn’t his biggest strength.

There was one benefit to the boyfriend route, however. It was an excuse to keep Bakugou close in a way that a new friend wouldn’t be. He’d faked love a few times in movies and shows, so doing it now wouldn’t be hard. But he worried about Bakugou. He would have to constantly be acting as if they were an item even though he clearly didn’t have much experience with it. Kirishima would have to work this facade all without crossing boundaries. It was going to be hard work, but his life was at stake here.

When he finally made the move to call the number he had gotten from Bakugou, he was prepared to code his speech. He didn’t know if his phone was being tapped or not.

“Uh hello?” Bakugou’s gruff drawl said from the other end of the line.

“Hey, it’s me, the guy from the grocery store. The cool one?”

“I don’t remember meeting anybody cool at the grocery store. Just some loser.”

“That’s rude.” Kirishima laughed.

“Why are you laughing, moron. I just insulted you.” Bakugou scoffed.

“Life’s too short to worry about little things. Did you wanna get dinner tonight?”

There was a pause on the other end, one that was quiet enough for Kirishima to hear Bakugou’s breathing.

And then, finally, he answered, voice bored sounding.

“Fine. Where were you thinking?”

“Uhh that little Italian place? On the corner beside the grocery store?”

“I guess.”

“Meet me there at six?”

“Yeah.”

The disinterest in Bakugou’s voice was a bad move. He should have been faking excitement. Did he not suspect that the phones were tapped? Or did he care so little about this job?

If he was being honest, Kirishima assumed the latter. He had been hard to convince, after all. What would he do if Bakugou’s disinterest got them in trouble? He had to find a good time to explain the true danger of this job. If Bakugou really knew what the stakes at hand were, would he be more willing to cooperate with the plan? Or maybe it wasn’t safe enough. If anybody else found out about the plan, they would be at risk as well. Did Kirishima really want that for Bakugou? And what if Bakugou decided to double cross him? He didn’t know the guy, after all. They hadn’t built a level of trust yet.

Dinner was the chance to do that, however, and Kirishima was going to take full advantage of it, no matter where the night took him.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry these are taking so long to come out.

“Have you ever been here before?”

“I haven’t.” Bakugou admitted, sitting in the booth across from the redhead. “I don’t go to restaurants very much.”

“Oh yeah? We might have to change that. I eat out a lot.” Kirishima laughed. Bakugou didn’t know why.

“Hey, can I ask what the hell is going down here?” He decided to be up front with Kirishima on this in case they were on different pages. “Are you seducing me or some shit?”

“Not unless you want me to. Friendship is cool with me.”

“Okay. Good. And for the record, I don’t want to be seduced.”

“Noted. Do you know what you’re going to order?”

“Meh. It’s Italian so probably pasta.”

“That’s such a boring choice.” Kirishima said in a teasing tone.

“Oh yeah? What were you going to order?”

“Pasta.”

“Hypocrite.”

“Is is really my fault if pasta is that good?”

“Yes.”

Kirishima laughed, bold and freely. Bakugou didn’t know how he managed it. What was it like to be able to laugh without a care? Was it fun? Bakugou had never been relaxed enough for genuine laughter.

“So, I wanna get to know you. What do you do for a living?”

“Freelance accounting.” Bakugou answered dully. He had thought over much of his cover already, choosing excuses that were as close to his real existence as possible without touching on the spy aspect.

“Wow. Exciting.” Kirishima’s sarcasm hung on every word. Bakugou didn’t know he was capable of being sarcastic.

“It’s a living. What do you do?”

“Me? I thought everybody knew.” Kirishima blinked. “I’m an actor. A kinda somewhat popular one.”

“I don’t watch movies that much.”

“Ahh. That explains why you didn’t want an autograph. I thought you were just playing it cool.”

“Even if I did know who you are, I wouldn’t want an autograph. I don’t see the point in letting people write on your shit.”

Kirishima, once again, thought this was funny. “Man, I don’t get it either. But I do it for the fans.”

“I couldn’t imagine just giving my signature out like that. Couldn’t people forge it or something?”

“I never thought about that.”

“Fame really makes you dumb, huh?”

“I’m not really THAT famous. Not yet anyway. It might change after this movie, though. I’m actually playing the lead for once.”

“So you’re just dumb by default, then?”

“Hey! Rude!” Kirishima stuck out his dumb little tongue. Why was he so relaxed about every insult. It was like Bakugou’s personality was nothing for him. Most people would get mad at him. It made life easier. He couldn’t get attached if everybody hated him. But this guy was impossible to tick off.

Maybe it was because his life was currently in Bakugou’s hands. Maybe he was laughing in order to please Bakugou.

It wasn’t working. Bakugou would prefer a rude client over a fake nice one.

“So, tell me a little more about yourself. I’m interested to know.”

“There’s not much to tell. I don’t know why you would even want to know.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.”

“So you want to hear me talk about accounting for the rest of the night?” Bakugou challenged. The truth was, he didn’t know much about accounting, but he knew enough to fake it and that was the important thing.

“I guess not.” Kirishima chuckled. “But do you have any hobbies outside of work?”

“I make bracelets apparently.” Bakugou shrugged, picking at the leather strap around his wrist.

“Yes, apparently.”

Why the hell was Kirishima so playful? His fucking life was at stake right now.

Or maybe it wasn’t?

Maybe this was a trap. Maybe Kirishima was involved in a plan to take Bakugou down. He had enemies, after all.

Bakugou was going to need to be careful with this guy.


	6. Six

After dinner, Kirishima “convinced” Bakugou to come back to his place. Kirishima’s condo was checked daily for bugs, even before the assassination attempt, so it was the one place they were free to communicate without worry. It was exactly what they needed to clear the air, to figure out the next step to the plan.

“You’re gonna have to act like we’re having a cheerful conversation. No seriousness.”

“I don’t do anything BUT serious, moron. You’re gonna have to live with it.”

“I mean, that’s fine normally, but it’d be pretty sketch if you and I disappeared somewhere. I don’t know if people are watching me or when, but if they suspect at any point that I told you their secret, I’d be dead and you wouldn’t get your money.”

Bakugou sighed, kicking off his shoes at the door. “I guess. But we’re in your home together and...”

“That’s no problem. we can sit in the living room. There’s a big window there. They’re bound to be staking me out through it.”

“Quick question...” Bakugou crossed his arms sloppily, “You know anything about this assassin? I’m only asking because some of them read lips.”

“From so far away?” The closest building was so distant. It wasn’t like anybody could just look over and see much, just two friends having a cheerful conversation.

“I mean, you were almost killed by a sniper. You need good eyes for that.”

“I guess. So what do I do?”

“Just sit with your back to the window and I’ll reply with caution.”

“And if you have any complicated questions?”

“I’ll figure that out.”

Kirishima nodded, walking toward the living room. “So, my roommates don’t know about this. They’re out right now, but they’ll be back later and we’ll have to be discrete after that.”

“Right. Got it. Why do you have roommates? Aren’t you famous?”

“Yeah but living alone sucks.”

“I love living alone.”

“You also murder people for a living...so...”

“Not all the time.”

“Oh yeah? Then when don’t you?”

“Uh...right now I guess.”

Kirishima laughed. Bakugou was so strange and awkward. It was so obvious that he didn’t have much social contact, less than anybody Kirishima had met before. It was so strange.

“Anyway, here’s the living room. Are you up for a game of cards?” Kirishima made sure he was facing the giant window as he said this, just in case.

“Yeah, sure.” Bakugou dropped down on one side of the square made of couches in the centre of the room. “What game are we going to play?”

“I dunno. Go-Fish or something?”

“Yeah. Whatever.”

Kirishima smirked, pulling a card deck from the drawer on the coffee table. He sat with his back to the window, dealing the cards out.

“Anyway. I guess I have to tell you everything, huh?”

“I mean, if you wanna.” Bakugou shrugged, nonchalant.

“Honestly, I kind of don’t. It’s so complicated,and I don’t even think I understand most of it.”

“Uh Huh?”

“It’s just so messed up, man. I don’t know how I’m supposed to be feeling. I could die at anytime, which should scare me, but it doesn’t, you know?”

“That’s just what life is normally like anyway.”

“Oh...I guess you’re right.” Maybe it was Bakugou’s career that had given him such a unique perspective on living. Or maybe he was just an edgy fuck.

“Anyway...there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you about...”

“Oh yeah?”

“You don’t...know how to act do you?”

“Huh?”

“Like...you’re not good at acting.”

“Why should I be? It’s not a very useful thing to know as an...accountant.”

“It’d be useful in this accounting job. Do you want some pointers?”

“Uh...yeah...sure...” Bakugou shrugged, disinterested. But Kirishima was ready. He had been preparing advice all damn week.

Bakugou was going to walk out of this building, not as an assassin, but as an actor.


	7. Seven

Listening to Kirishima babble on and on about acting techniques was oddly soothing. He was allowed to turn off his brain and just relax for once. This wasn’t the safety he expected, here, next to some idiot he barely knew who just couldn’t manage to stop talking about his work.

“And roleplaying is really helpful too. Hey! You should totally roleplay with our D&D group!”

“You’re asking me to play a fucking nerd game?” Bakugou raised his eyebrow. “You play a nerd game?”

“It’s not a nerd game. Well...it is...but that’s not wrong.”

“It seems lame.”

“Well, it’s good acting practise. We have a game tomorrow night if you wanna join?”

Bakugou sighed. He didn’t want to play a nerd game with a bunch of nerds, but it was his job to protect this loser and he was going to have to spend as much time as possible with him. “Sure,I guess so.”

“Great! I can help you make a character! What class do you want to be?”

“What?”

“You’re an assassin in real life so you’d probably be good as a rogue. But your personality is so barbarian...”

“And what are those exactly?”

Kirishima chuckled as if not knowing how to play a nerd game was cute or something.

“A rogue is all sneaky and a barbarian fights up front and centre.”

“Fights? You can fight people in this game?”

“Yeah. And our party could use more force since we’ve mostly been using sneaking up until this point.”

“You losers are playing a game where you can kill people and you’re choosing not to kill people? That’s insane.”

“Well, I play a Ranger, so I’ve been fighting from afar, and our Bard, Kaminari, has some fighting attacks but he’drather seduce us out of danger. Mina is supposed to be our cleric but she’s bad at it, so usually Kaminari just heals us.”

“Your party seems like a mess.”

“Yeah, But we’re just starting out so we have a long way to go.”

“Wait...how long do these games usually last?”

“I dunno. Years maybe.”

“Years? That’s an awful long time?”

“Oh yeah...” Kirishima looked way more shocked than he had any business being. “Well, you can always come on for one or two games and then leave when you’re done with this job.”

“I could do that, I guess.”

After that, the pair got right into character creation. They ended up making Bakugou an orc barbarian who earned money by killing people for the king. Kirishima got their Dungeon Master on the phone at some point during the backstory to make sure the details would align with the story he was crafting. It was weirdly entertaining, using imagination instead of logic for once. Having those barely used brain muscles at work was an interesting change of pace.

Eventually, the conversation lulled into something gentle and the spaces between his words grew more and more. 

He hadn’t planned to fall asleep on Kirishima’s couch, but he had stayed up late the night before and 8pm was already his bedtime to begin with. But there was something else; something about the warmth of the room, the softness of the couch, that pulled him in like a lullaby. It wasn’t always easy for him to let his guard down, but right now...it was just so...easy?

Was this what home was like?


	8. Eight

“Yo, Kiri, we brought home takeout. You want s-?”

Kirishima opened his eyes right when Kaminari entered the living room, staring at Bakugou with confusion.

“Who’s this loser.”

“This is Bakugou, a new friend of mine.”

“Jeez dude, did you pull him off the streets? He looks like a teenage runaway.”

Kirishima glanced at Bakugou, at the guy’s wrinkled t-shirt and messy hair. He really DID look like a kid when he slept. Too bad he was so angry and rugged when he was awake.

“He’s not a teenager, I promise you. I met him at the grocery store.”

“The grocery store? What the hell dude? You don’t grocery shop?”

“I did this time!”

“Oh? What did you buy?”

“Ghk...I...uh...bought nothing...”

“So you just went there to pick up guys? Figures.” Mina stepped into the living room with Sero right behind her, both of them holding bags of takeout food. Kaminari was carrying nothing. As usual.

“I wasn’t picking up guys!! I swear!” Kirishima insisted, face getting hot. “What kinda food did you get anyway?”

“Thai.” Sero answered.

“Man, that sounds really good about now.” Kirishima nodded vigorously.

“Is that the guy who was gonna play Dungeons and Dragons with us?” Sero set the bags on the coffee table.

Bakugou shifted a little but didn’t wake up.

“Wait...he’s joining the game? I thought you said three party members was pretty standard.” Kaminari whined.

“Three members is enough when your party isn’t completely useless. You’ve literally almost died three times in two games.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault that the clap of my dwarven asscheeks alerted the guards! I rolled a one, man.”

Sero tolled his eyes. “Bro, your idiocy knows no bounds.”

“At least I don’t sleep in a hammock.” Kaminari countered.

“My hammock is comfy as hell and you’re just jealous.”

Kaminari was silent, defeated.

“So, should we wake him up?” Mina wondered, referring to Bakugou.

“Probably not.” Bakugou seemed like the type who was scary to wake. He was a god damn assassin, and was probably used to sleeping with a weapon. Waking him was probably dangerous.

“He looks like a dandelion.”

“He looks like that lion boy from that one manga I read about the zoo animals.”

“Shishido?”

“Yeah.”

“Yo, he kinda DOES.”

Kirishima was confused. He had never read Oumagadoki Doubutsuen because he was a COWARD.

“Can we invite him to our cosplay group?” Mina asked.

“We have a cosplay group?”

“We do now.”

“Don’t invite my new friend to cosplay with you. You’re a bad influence.” Kirishima complained. He didn’t want his new bodyguard to walk out of this place as a damn...weaboo. Ew. First came cosplay and watching anime, and then all of a sudden you’re reading fan-made stories about things that didn’t happen in the original. Nobody wanted to end up in that situation.

“Should we just eat in the kitchen so we don’t wake up Shishido 2 explosive boogaloo?” Mina wondered.

“That would be a good idea.” Kirishima nodded. Being awakened by some loud ass roommates wouldn’t be a good first impression for Bakugou.

And if Bakugou was going to be around Kirishima a lot, he was going to have to get used to his friends.


	9. Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im really sorry if this is tapering off and I’m not updating regularly but I’m trying to get a job and work on a comic so I’m a little busy. I’m still trying my best tho!!

Bakugou hadn’t planned to sleep over, but he also didn’t have any other plans. His schedule was cleared for the next little while to make room for this mission. But that didn’t mean he wanted to be sleeping away from home, with no knowledge of the apartment layout, the escape routes, the traps.

Despite that, however, he still found himself waking up on the couch with an extremely soft blanket over him. The curtains were closed and the room was dark save for the light above the stove in the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a wall that became lattice halfway up.

Kirishima stood in this light, fumbling with the coffee machine in a way that made Bakugou wonder if he was trying to be quiet.

His gaze darted toward Bakugou, morphing into a double take as he realized that the blond was sitting up.

“Oh, sorry! I was trying not to wake you.” He said sheepishly, rubbing his neck.

“What time is it?” Bakugou asked, stretching his body out. This couch was comfortable, but it had still made him hurt.

“Like six in the morning. I’ve got to go to set if you wanna come. I’ll make you a coffee.”

Bakugou considered the plan. He wanted to go home, in all honesty, but what would he even do there? His place was nothing more than a place to sleep when he wasn’t on the job.

Besides, he was supposed to be this moron’s bodyguard. Weren’t bodyguards supposed to stay with their client all the time?

“Am I allowed?”

“Yeah. It’s no problem as long as you don’t obstruct the filming. Also don’t leak anything about the movie or else I’ll be in big trouble.”

“Can we stop by my place first? I need a change of clothes. And a shower.”

“I can lend you something to wear. We’re about the same size.”

“Yeah...we are...aren’t we?”

“Why do you look like you’re hatching an evil plan?”

“Because I might be.” Bakugou shrugged, standing from the couch. “I might need to be your double at some point.”

“I already have a double, dude. His name is Tetsutetsu and you might see him around today.”

“You seriously have a double?”

“A stunt double, yeah.”

“So you’re not even one of the cool actors who do their own stunts?!”

“Unfortunately not.”

“Damn. That’s lame.”

“Shutup! The stunts don’t make he movies. The emotions do.”

“I prefer movies that have zero emotion and a lot of explosions. I couldn’t give less of a shit about good acting as long as the action is cool.”

“Damn. That really hurts, bro. You just butchered my entire career and left it on my pillow while I sleep.”

“Good. Now, where’s the bathroom?”

“It’s just past my room. I’ll grab you some clothes on the way to showing you.”

Kirishima poured coffee into two travel mugs, which he left on the counter. “How do you like your coffee?”

“Black.” Bakugou answered as Kirishima lead him through the apartment. Past a few bedrooms until he came to a door with a red sign hanging from it.

“Red riot?” Bakugou read. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a dumb nickname from high school.” Kirishima opened the door and ushered Bakugou inside. “It’s been a while since I had a boy in my room.” The idiot smirked. Why was he smirking? Was this supposed to be funny?

“Aren’t you a boy?”

“I meant another boy.” Kirishima laughed. What a fucking loser.

“Okaaaaay....”

“Any clothing preferences?”

“Do you have anything that won’t make me look like a total putz?” Bakugou glanced around the room as he said this.

The place was pretty simple, and somehow exactly what he expected. The bed was messy and there was a pile of clothes in the corner next to some workout equipment. The walls were coated in posters for the kinds of bands that dads listen to and the outside wall had a giant window overlooking the city. Bakugou couldn’t help but wince at the opened curtains on the wall.

“You know...you have too many windows.”

“Yeah. The place is full of em. And honestly the view isn’t even that good.” Kirishima shrugged, handing Bakugou a pile of clothes. “The boxers haven’t been used yet. You can keep ‘em when you’re done.”

“I-oh...” Bakugou looked down at the clothing in this arms. Somehow...Kirishima had managed to pick out an outfit that didn’t have clashing colours.

“C’mon. The bathroom is just across the hall.”

The moment the pair was out of the room, Bakugou spoke up again.

“You really should keep those curtains closed. Especially when you sleep.”

“It’ll be fine. I don’t do anything suspicious in there. They won’t catch me.”

“No, but they may use it as a perfect chance to strike. There’s no guarantee that they won’t let you life a little longer to make you lower your guard.”

Kirishima swallowed. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”

“For all we know, you might have already tipped them off and they’re just toying with you.”

Kirishima paled at this. “Really? Did we do anything to tip them off?”

“Maybe. I don’t really know what they’re after you for so I can’t say.”

Kirishima looked down the hall, one way and then the other, as if they were being watched. Then, he spoke in a whisper that made the air feel heavy. “I’ll tell you tonight.”


	10. Ten

The studio was in full buzz when our intrepid heroes entered the set.

Actors, costume designers, makeup artists and writers were all over the floor, handing Kirishima scripts, telling him where he was going to be and how he was going to be feeling about it. It was more people than Bakugou was used to and it honestly made him nervous. But their focus was solely on Kirishima. Nobody so much as looked at Bakugou when Kirishima was around. It actually felt...empowering? He could slip in and out of this place as he pleased. Maybe acting as a bodyguard or entourage was a good tactic for assassination. He could take out any of these guys if he needed to and slip away without another word. Hiding in plain sight wasn’t as bad a tactic as he had always thought.

“Right, so we’ll have you doing an action scene today, and one or two dramatic scenes if we have time.” Somebody who looked to be a director explained. Kirishima nodded along as he was given advice and tips on the scene while Bakugou scanned the area for suspicious activity.

There were people in the rafters, firstly, which Bakugou was cautious of at first until he realized that they were working on lights, and then there were a lot of random people coming up to Kirishima to ask questions or to introduce themselves. There was a lot of unwarranted touching involved. It would be so easy to take the redhead out right now.

They had to get out of here. They had to find somewhere safe.

Bakugou reached out for Kirishima’s wrist, tugging it to get his attention.

When Kirishima turned to him, Bakugou could only manage one word.

“Bathroom.”

He didn’t know what was coming over him. His instincts, which were normally sharp and spot on, had his head spinning and his mouth dry. He needed to get out of here.

“Oh, I’ve got to so to my trailer. Tell hair and makeup to join me in there when they’re ready.” The redhead told the crowd around him.

Without waiting for an answer, Kirishima took Bakugou by the hand and pulled him through the lot until they came to a metal travel trailer with Red Riot emblazoned on a star on the door.

It was the same as any trailer in the movies, bleak, mass produced, and equipped with everything one would need for a break.

Kirishima’s trailer had a Crimson Riot comic issue on the tiny coffee table and a vase of flowers on the table. The flowers looked a tiny bit withered and Bakugou couldn’t get them off his mind for some reason. Who had given them to him? How long had they been there? Were they a trap? A bomb?

“Do you wanna sit down?” Kirishima gestured to the tiny couch in the corner under the window.

“I...uh...yeah...” Bakugou swallowed dryly, slowly lowering himself onto the piece of furniture in question.

Kirishima leaned over him to draw the shades on the window, darkening the trailer and making sure nobody could see inside.

Bakugou felt ten times safer now but there was still danger. This place could be bugged. Somebody could be hiding inside.

“It’s okay. Nothing in here can hurt you. I promise.” Kirishima said, voice soothing as he sat next to Bakugou.

“I don’t...actually have to go to the bathroom.” Bakugou admitted, leg bouncing, sending a jolt up his body every time his heel hit the floor. It had never done that before. Was he low on sugar? Iron? Did he need to drink some water?

“I know. I’ve seen panic attacks before, Bakugou.”

“Panic attack? That’s not what this is. Why would I have a panic attack?” He was talking faster and rambling more than he ever had. This wasn’t like him.

“You’re not used to crowds, are you?”

“No...but...” Bakugou noticed that his hands were shaking so he tucked them between his knees so Kirishima wouldn’t notice. Bakugou was an assassin. Assassins weren’t supposed to get scared.

“Is there anything you need right now? Water? A hug?”

“Water.” Bakugou answered. Why would he need a hug? He’d gone maybe twelve years without one. Why start now?

“Great. I’ll get you a water.” Kirishima rose from the coach and went to the fridge to retrieve a water bottle. He uncapped it and placed it in Bakugou’s still unsteady hands.

He took a long drink, and even though it made him feel better, he was still on edge.

“Nothing can hurt you here.” Kirishima assured him again. “Do you wanna stay in here while I do my work? I’ve got a laptop and a bunch of my movies on it for you to watch while you calm down.”

“You just carry that around wherever you go? Just YOUR movies?” Bakugou raised an eyebrow in disgust.

“No! I brought it today in case you got bored.”

“Ew. Why would I wanna watch movies about you?”

Kirishima laughed. “You don’t have to watch them. You can come to set with me if you want.”

“I should probably go to set...I mean...in case you need me.”

“Are you sure? It’s gonna be crowded and hectic. I wouldn’t want you to freak out where I couldn’t help you.”

“I’m sure.” Bakugou would rather be a little on edge than for his client to get killed while he was watching movies.

“Okay. We can watch some of my stuff later after D&D though, right?”

“You really want me to watch your damn movies, huh?”

“I want you to know me better.” Kirishima shrugged, head turning away to hide his face.

“I’ll consider it. Depends on how tired I am after your dumb board game.”

“It’s not a board game. It’s a tabletop game.”

“So?”

Kirishima laughed, with genuine amusement. “You’re back to yourself, I see.”

“I never stopped being myself.”

Kirishima sat back down, closer than he had been before. Bakugou wasn’t sure why he was so focused on the fact that their hips were touching, or that Kirishima’s arm had dropped behind him, draped over the back of the couch. If Bakugou leaned back, even just a little, it would be like they were cuddling or some shit. Why was his face feeling hot all of a sudden? This guy was just sitting next to him, and the coach was small so it wasn’t like he had much of a choice in how close.

But before he could say something, the trailer door burst open and in walked a blond man, clad in a Canadian tuxedo, as well as a posse of similarly denim clad stylists.

“Let’s get you in costume.” He stated, pulling Kirishima away. “We have a lot of work to do.”


	11. Eleven

Bakugou seemed to be more relaxed after they talked in the trailer. He managed to stay calm long enough for Kirishima to finish his scenes, hurrying to his side during each makeup break. Each time, he pretended that he wasn’t worried, but the way he perked up every time the director said cut, as slight as it was, told Kirishima otherwise.

When they were putting together the set for the stunt scene, Tetsutetsu approached the pair, giving Kirishima a fist bump as he sat down.

“Pizza and drinks with the crew after filming today. You coming?” Tetsutetsu asked, opening a bag of craft services chips and leaning back in his chair.

“Uh no thanks. It’s DND night with the roommates.”

“You play the Dungees and Draggos too bruh? What type of character do you play? I play an elf ranger.”

“Oh...I play an elf ranger too.” The thing about Tetsutetsu was that he was not only way more fun to write from Bakugou’s perspective, but also had a suspiciously high number of similarities to Kirishima. Sometimes it made the redhead nervous. It meant he could easily be replaced in his career or friendships if he messed up. It meant he had to try harder to stand out as if he wasn’t already trying his darnedest.

“Wow that’s crazy. Are you sure we’re not twins separated at birth?” The one upside to Tetsutetsu’s similarities to Kirishima was that he made a spot on stunt double, one that he was willing to work with on as many films as necessary in the future.

“Who’s this guy?” Tetsutetsu finally took notice to Bakugou, who was hunched over a water bottle, trying not to make eye contact with anybody passing by.

“Oh...that’s a friend of mine. He’s a little shy.”

“I’m not fucking shy.” Bakugou grumbled.

“No. Not shy. Just foul tempered.”

“Shut up hair for brains.” The blond jabbed him in the side.

“Ow! That’s my acting rib cage!”

“If I hit it hard enough, maybe you’ll actually know how to act.”

“Ooo ouch.” Kirishima winced. It was good to see Bakugou acting up again. At least it meant he was getting more comfortable with the set.

Kirishima was about to introduce Tetsutetsu when they were interrupted by the director calling them back to set. He waved goodbye to the blond and started to walk away.

However, halfway there, he felt something, a something that wasn’t tangible, but was very, very wrong.

He felt eyes on him, and not in the way he normally did. These eyes spoke of killing intent.

Kirishima turned around to face Bakugou, who looked at him closely, reading him. He stood, walking toward him, eyes darting around the building, searching for a threat.

Bakugou was alert, every sense reaching out to find what was wrong. He was a fine tuned assassin, more comfortable in chaos than calm, but no matter how used to danger he was, it didn’t stop anything. He was too late.

His red eyes locked on something in the rafters just as it happened. A shot rang out through the building, echoing off the metal walls.

And then time stopped.


	12. Twelve

The sound was the worst part. The ringing in his ears didn’t seem to stop. The blood was something he was used to and the pain wasn’t his to bear.

And yet, somehow he felt the faintest hints of it in his own gut as he looked down on his failure.

He was supposed to protect Kirishima, not to see him in a pool of his own blood, not to be carrying him away from a crime scene as the commotion of the sound stirred cast and crew into a frenzy, shielding them from another hit. Bakugou didn’t stop running until they were in the back of a taxi, begging the driver to get them as far away from this place as they could.

The driver seemed shocked, wondering if they should go to a hospital. But Bakugou refused. He knew a better place than a hospital.

He made the driver take them a few blocks from their actual destination, to a walk-in clinic, checking Kirishima over in the meantime to make sure he was okay. He paid extra to ensure the driver kept his mouth shut but that couldn’t guarantee shit. Now that he knew who he was dealing with, there was no buying his way out of anything. Once the taxi was out of sight he was on the run again, dodging through the streets with Kirishima on his back, the idiot whimpering at every sudden move.

It was the back door of a veterinary office that Bakugou finally stopped at. It was a small place, that mostly dealt with cats, but it had saved him from many sticky situations. In his line of business, it was hard to find doctors to trust.

Shinsou was standing at the operating table, disinfecting it, when Bakugou walked in, completely unfazed by the bleeding man clinging to his back. He had seen worse shit than one bullet wound, after all.

“What the hell happened here? Who is this dude?” Shinsou lifted a purple eyebrow, putting down the rag he was holding and walking to the cabinet for supplies.

“Just a client. He got shot.”

“I’ll say. But how did your client get sh- wait are you that actor from that movie about the aliens in that town?”

Kirishima squinted at Shinsou, eyes bleary as Bakugou helped him onto the operating table.

“Yes. Are you gonna make this pain stop or what?” The redhead hissed through gritted teeth.

Bakugou didn’t think Kirishima was even capable of sass, and yet here he was, giving lip to the guy trying to help him.

“It’s gonna get worse before it gets better.” Shinsou shrugged, handing him a rolled up towel. “You might wanna bite this.”

“What?”

“Bite down on this.” Shinsou repeated.

“Are you sure that’ll work? This idiot has shark teeth.”

“You’re right. I’ll grab a wood block.”

“What the fuck? I don’t get any drugs for this? I have literally been shot.” Kirishima growled.

“Don’t be such a baby. He only shot your shoulder.” Bakugou rolled his eyes. “You’ll live.”

“Fuck You. It hurts like a bitch. When I get out of here I’m gonna mmmmph!” The whining stopped as Shinsou stuffed a wooden cylinder between Kirishima’s blade-like teeth. His ferocity at least meant it was okay, as out of character as it was.

“This is gonna hurt but keep up profanities to a minimum. I’ve got a business to run here.” Shinsou didn’t bother giving warning when he started removing the bullet and fixing up the wound. He was used to operating on criminals and people who were used to a little pain, not baby actors who normally didn’t have to worry about more than a stunt or an uncomfortable costume.

Kirishima took Bakugou’s hand, and even though Bakugou would normally pull away, calling him a wimp, this time he let it happen, he let Kirishima squeeze as tightly as he wanted because he could see the fear in his eyes and knew that this was what would make the situation just a little bit easier for him.

And once it was all over, he let Kirishima lean on his shoulder, closing his eyes and catching his breath.

Things were about to get a lot harder for him from now on. And it was up to Bakugou to make sure he would make it out alive.


	13. Thirteen

"Where are we going?" Kirishima asked, tugging at the hat Shinsou had lent him to cover his hair. He was sticking close to Bakugou and even though they were covered in drug store sunglasses, he knew they were flitting about for trouble.

Now that he had faced real danger, he was paranoid. This wasn't some silly game anymore. It was real.

"We're going to my place. It's safe there."

"I wanna go home. And I left my

phone at the set." Kirishima complained.

"They can use your phone to track you. And you can't go home. They'll find you there."

"My roommates need to know that I'm okay."

"Look, what you got back there was a warning. They'll be coming for your head next. Do you want your roommates caught in this too?"

"No..."

"Then we go to my place and lay low for a few days."

"Days?"

"Kirishima, do you realize the kind of trouble you're in? I don't even know what you did. Are you ever going to tell me?"

"Yeah. Of course. I'll tell you when we get to your place."

"Good. I wanna know what you could have done to get Stanley Snyder on your tail."

"Who?"

"Stanley Snyder. One of the best snipers in the world. The only reason he isn't more well known is because he only works on the commands of one of his NASA pals or something. How did you piss HIM off?"

"I said I'll tell you later." Kirishima whispered. “And anyway, I didn’t know they were going to send the best of the best after me.”

“Well, they did. I’m not sure even I could go against him.”

“So I’m screwed then?”

“Not exactly. It’s not over until you’re dead.”

“And how long will that take? A week? A few days? If I’ve got the best assassin in the world on my ass, some smarty pants killer for hire isn’t going to do much to save me.”

“Listen...it’s my job to protect you, and in this business, failure means death. I’m not letting you die without fighting first.”

Kirishima hunched his shoulders, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I don’t like this one bit.”

“I know you don’t. But you got yourself into this mess.”

“Not on PURPOSE. It was an accident.”

“I know.” Bakugou turned a corner, pulling Kirishima with him. “Anyway, we’re here.”

“I still can’t believe you live in such a sketchy place.”

“It’s cheap and it’s a roof over my head between jobs.”

Kirishima stood close to Bakugou as he unlocked the door, as if he wanted to be inside more than anything. He probably did.

“I guess. But it’s so...lonely...”

Bakugou swallowed. “So what if it is? I have to live here. Not you.”

“I have to live here for a little while too, though.”

“You’ll just have to deal with it or die I guess.” Bakugou opened the door and shoved Kirishima through.

“You came back.” Aizawa was merely stating a fact as the pair entered the domain. “I was just about ready to close up shop and assume you died.”

“Oh please. I was gone for one day. We need a place to hide out.”

Aizawa scoffed. “Whatever. Just clean up after yourself.”

“Sure. Sure.” Bakugou took Kirishima by the arm and started tugging him through the building to the room that he normally used for almost everything.

“Make yourself at home or whatever.”


	14. Fourteen

Kirishima didn’t say a word once the pair got inside the building and sat down on the mattress Bakugou used as a bed. He merely stared ahead with a worrying expression that made Bakugou feel sick.

Eventually the silence was too unbearable for Bakugou to deal with and he ended up leaving the room to read for a bit.

When he got hungry an hour or two later, he called in for takeout. He had done this a thousand times but for some reason this one felt different. It wasn’t just an ordinary action for him anymore. It was like some ancient human instinct to be a good host had taken over and now he felt guilty about living in a shithole.

Why should he? This place was safe and that was all Kirishima could ask for right now.

He didn’t need a fancy couch that was unnervingly comfortable to sleep on, or some a view of the city that sacrificed his privacy and protection. All he needed was a place to sleep and safety from the literal gunman on his trail.

Speaking of which, Kirishima STILL hadn’t explained himself and Bakugou was getting frustrated by it. Whatever happened to his promise to explain himself once he got home?

Normally Bakugou would have done some light interrogation, but right now his instinct was to let Kirishima rest a little. He had been through a lot today and he didn’t need to relive any more memories.

Bakugou didn’t understand this softness he was experiencing lately. He was becoming weak. And for what? Some idiot actor whose fashion sense would have made his mother cry?

He couldn’t wait until this job was done and he could go back to not worrying about anybody else. He knew for sure that once he was done here, he wouldn’t be taking body guard jobs ever again. He was wrong to even take this one.

Soon enough, the food arrived, Aizawa bringing it directly to Bakugou’s office. He couldn’t risk showing his face right now. Not him. Not Kirishima. Aizawa was only safe because he wasn’t connected to Bakugou, because he was merely a street vigilante who owned the building Bakugou was staying in. Only small numbers of trusted parties knew Bakugou was here. He made sure to keep his name off any records, either by using aliases he pulled from baby naming sites or by using things owned by other people, like Aizawa’s building. The pair had always kept to themselves, staying out of each other’s business unless necessary. They helped each other out a few times here and there; Bakugou with an assassination or two and Aizawa by lending his space to Bakugou’s bitch ass despite all the bullshit he put him through.

“Where’s the other one?” Aizawa asked, setting the bag of food down on Bakugou’s desk.

“In my room. I’ll probably just crash here for the night.” Bakugou shrugged. He had slept in his desk chair before and he had slept in worse places.

Besides, at this point, he had decided that nothing would ever be as comfortable as Kirishima stupid couch. Who in their right mind would buy a couch that comfortable? Somebody whose brains were fried by limitless dyed probably.

“Are you sure you should be leaving him unattended?”

“He’s not going anywhere. He knows the risks. Anyway, I ordered food for you too so go eat.”

Aizawa shrugged and left the room, taking his share of food with him.

As Bakugou took the rest of the food to Kirishima, he decided to listen at the door. Sure, he had told Aizawa that Kirishima wouldn’t run, but he still had his worries.

When he put his ear against the wood, he wasn’t entirely surprised to hear nothing. What could Kirishima have possibly be doing in there that would make much noise? Listening at the door had been a stupid idea to begin with.

He decided to just walk in.

“I got food.” He said peering around the room.

Kirishima was still in the exact spot Bakugou had left him, on the bed. However, he was now laying on his side, beneath the ratty blankets.

Once again, Bakugou felt a weird kind of shame at his ability to host.

He tried to remember if he had better blankets around. Surely Aizawa wouldn’t since he always used a sleeping bag. He made a mental note to have some more comfortable bedsheets picked up.

Despite the disgusting conditions, Kirishima was still sleeping like a rock. Of course he was. It had been an extremely long day for him.

Bakugou decided that he should just leave Kirishima’s food here and go back to his office.

Kirishima deserved as much rest as he needed. Telling Bakugou what happened could wait until another day.


	15. Fifteen

When Kirishima woke up, everything was dark and Bakugou was nowhere to be seen. Kirishima was disoriented. Where was he again? Which was was the light switch? Why weren’t there windows? Was this where he had fallen asleep or had he been taken elsewhere?

Had he been kidnapped?

“BAKUGOU!!” He shouted, straining his shoulder and feeling pain rise from his bullet wound like an angry animal waking from a slumber.

“BAKUGOU?!” He shouted again, ignoring the second flare of agony ripping through him.

He heard a distant crash and some swearing, followed by footsteps before the door swung open and Bakugou’s spiky silhouette stood before him.

“What the fuck are you yelling for? I fell out of my damn chair because of y-”

Bakugou’s voice cut off when Kirishima ran forward, launching himself into the blond’s reluctant arms.

“I was so worried.” Kirishima whimpered.

Bakugou pushed him away gently, staring at him with eyes that were filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.

“You should go back to sleep. It’s like three AM.”

“My shoulder hurts.”

Bakugou sighed. “I should probably change your bandages too.” He turned on the bedroom light, gesturing at the bed. “I left you some food. Go eat while I fetch bandages and painkillers.”

Kirishima nodded softly, following his instructions.

Bakugou may have only been gone for five minutes, but Kirishima was surprisingly starving. So, by the time his wound was being redressed, he had already finished his meal. Bakugou took notice and handed him a small pill and a glass of water.

“I need to tell you why I’m being targeted.”

“That can wait. You need to get rest.” Bakugou insisted, removing the bandage on Kirishima’s arm. Kirishima winced as it pulled on the skin around the wound.

“No. I’ve been putting it off too long. I promised to tell you a few times.”

Bakugou sighed. “Fine. But you have to go to sleep afterward.”

“I’ll see how I feel.” Kirishima negotiated.

“What’s your big secret then? Did you stumble upon some evil NASA plan or something?”

“More or less.”

“For real? That shit actually happens?”

Kirishima hissed as Bakugou used rubbing alcohol to clean the dried blood away. “I stumbled on Xeno telling one of the film editors about some frequency he wanted to put in the end credits of my movie that would brainwash everybody who watches it.”

“What?! That’s a super villain plot.”

“I know. But they wouldn’t want me dead if it wasn’t true.”

“What are they brainwashing people to do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe to get everybody to watch the movie so they sell lots and make more money??”

“That doesn’t seem like a Xeno type of plan. I think it’s something more sinister than that.”

“Taishiro had some people on the job of getting evidence so we could lock him away.” Kirishima explained as Bakugou wrapped fresh bandages around his wound. “But I don’t know how long that’s going to take.”

“At least if you’re here, they can’t finish the movie and it’ll postpone the brainwashing until we can arrest him.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, you’re all bandaged up and ready to go back to bed. I’ll see you in the morning....the REAL morning.” Bakugou started to stand but Kirishima grabbed his sleeve.

“Wait...”

“What do you want now?”

“Can you stay here...until I fall asleep?”

Bakugou groaned. “What are you, five?”

“Five and a half.”

“Fuck off.” Bakugou rolled his eyes and pulled his arm away. Kirishima felt himself panic.

“Relax.” Bakugou told him. “I’m just going to turn off the light. I’ll be right back to tuck your baby ass into bed.”

“Thank you for this.”

Again, Bakugou rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Whatever.”


	16. Sixteen

Bakugou hadn’t expected to fall asleep here. He was just supposed to stay here next to the bed until Kirishima fell back asleep.

However, every time Bakugou thought Kirishima had finally fallen asleep, he felt that iron grip stopping him from leaving. Eventually, he was just too tired to fight it. It was bad enough that he had been woken up so suddenly, but now he had to sleep on the cold floor next to a perfectly good box spring and mattress set.

He wanted to scold Kirishima for being an idiot, but when he sat up, stretching his back, he lost all will to do so. Kirishima looked to peaceful to stir with his harsh words.

Bakugou was about to slip away when Kirishima’s eyes cracked open, softly, lashes drifting to reveal bleary crimson.

“Hey.” He mumbled.

“Uh...hey...” Bakugou felt weird...all fluttery and shit. He didn’t like it.

“Do you have a shower here?”

“Who the fuck doesn’t have a shower?”

“I don’t know. You don’t have a kitchen so...”

“What makes you think I don’t have a kitchen?”

“If you had a kitchen you wouldn’t be ordering takeout all the time.” Kirishima sat up, stretching his arms out. He winced as he pulled his injury yet again, forgetting it was even there. “Either that or it don’t cook.”

“Of course I can cook. Are you crazy?”

“So you don’t have a kitchen?”

“You’re impossible.” Bakugou groaned, standing up and stretching out his sore back. He heard an awful crack that even Kirishima winced at.

“That sounded like it hurt.”

“It did and it’s your fault.”

Kirishima looked sheepishly at his lap. “Sorry.”

“Yeah whatever.”

“So, am I allowed to shower or what?”

“Yeah. I guess. Bathrooms down the hall to the right. Don’t get your wound too wet.”

Kirishima started to squirm out of the bed, hair tussled and sticking up everywhere.

“Are you gonna order breakfast while I’m cleaning up?”

“Obviously.” Bakugou groaned. Why wouldn’t he? It was morning.

As Kirishima left and Bakugou went to his office to order food, he decided he should check the news while he was at it. He wanted to know if they had left any trails behind and if they needed to move.

He was surprised at how much coverage there was on the fiasco. Most people thought it was a kidnapping or a coverup for something. Others thought he was running away. Bakugou had never imagined people caring about something he was involved in THAT much.

Celebrities are really something else.

Bakugou was still browsing articles when Kirishima came back from the shower.

“Can you help me with my bandages?” He asked.

“I guess so.” This would be their routine for until they could come out of hiding, he realized. Waking up, changing bandages, breakfast.

When would they be able to see the sun once more?

They needed to come up with a plan, something to stop Xeno and get Kirishima’s life back on track.

But then, with Kirishima gone...what would happen to Bakugou? Could he just go back to his old life? Would he ever feel that sense of home that he had experienced with Kirishima by his side?

Maybe he should take his time with his plan.


	17. Seventeen

Three days had passed inside the dusty old hideout, three days of a weirdly comforting silence between Kirishima and Bakugou. 

They had settled into a kind of routine, waking, ordering breakfast, sitting in Bakugou’s office all day, not speaking. Usually Bakugou would read or browse the web, trying to figure out a plan to defeat Xeno and Stanly. Kirishima never really had much to do, but he was enjoying the break from being on edge all the time.

Except...he really missed his friends, and working, and going out. Being stuck in such a small area wasn’t healthy for pets and it wasn’t healthy for him. Eventually, it was starting to get to him.

“We should go out.”

“What? You mean like a dating thing?” Kirishima hadn’t thought a blushing Bakugou (blushugou, if you will) was possible, but he was currently being proven wrong.

“No! Geez, dude. I mean out of this house. I’m literally going insane.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“Even if I’m in disguise?”

“Look, I wish I could help you, but this is a matter of life or death. And not just for you, either. I’m in danger also. And the rest of the world if we don’t figure this all out.”

Kirishima sighed, long and heavy. He didn’t want to put the world in danger, or Bakugou for that matter. But he was losing his mind in such a tiny space.

“Can we figure it out faster?” Kirishima dropped his head onto Bakugou’s desk, papers sticking to his skin.

“I’m doing every thing I can. But I need to make sure every possibility is considered. If we leave even one opening, Stanly will take it. If you get killed, I don’t get my money.” Bakugou explained.

“I figured that by now I’d be more than just a pay check to you.”

“Yeah, well, getting attached isn’t an option in this business.”

“Who says this has to be your business? The world is a big place. You don’t have to kill to get by.”

“What would you know? You didn’t live my life.”

“Look...when this is all over...I’ll hire you full time as my bodyguard. It could be good for you.”

“Tch.” Bakugou scoffed. It was clear that Bakugou wanted to end this discussion and as much as Kirishima wanted to continue, he didn’t want to be stuck in this creaky building with an angry blond.

“How much longer do you think it’ll take?

“Dunno. Couple of days probably.”

Kirishima tried not to show his disappointment. He knew it was selfish to be bored right now. He knew he had no other choice. And yet, that didn’t change the fact that he was extremely stir crazy and needed fresh air.

“Do you have anything to pass the time? Like video games or something?”

“No. Never had time for them.”

“Damn.”

“I can order something if you want.”

“But that shit is expensive...”

“So? It’ll keep you quiet and I’ll be able to figure this out sooner. Call it an investment.”

“I can pay you back when this is all over. I promise.”

“Yeah. Do whatever you want. The sooner I can get you out of my hair, the better.”


	18. Eighteen

“Okay, so here’s the plan,” Bakugou entered the bedroom on an afternoon two days after Kirishima decided to give him space. “I’ve got a hacker contact who’s going to reverse the brainwashing frequency so nobody gets hurt, and meanwhile, I’ll take out Xeno and Stanly.”

“That’s what took you days to figure out?” Kirishima raised an eyebrow.

“No! There’s more complicated stuff, but it’s better if you don’t know.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m using you as bait.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ll lure Stanly and Xeno out of hiding and I’ll send them to hell.”

“No way! I could be killed!”

“They won’t kill you until they know everybody you told about the plan. You’re safe as long as you don’t give away anything.”

Kirishima stared at Bakugou, long and hard. “You’re really willing to sacrifice me like that? I thought we were friends.”

“You were only ever my client.”

Kirishima felt the tiniest crack forming in his chest. “And here I was thinking you had some kind of humanity left.”

Bakugou stared at him, face blank and unreadable. There wasn’t a single twitch to tell Kirishima what this guy was thinking. Was he pissed? Was he pleased with himself? This was probably the least emotion that had ever been on his face. When he leaned toward Kirishima, the redhead didn’t know what to do.

“I don’t think I had any to begin with.” He whispered, voice hoarse and flat. His eyes were empty, like those of a corpse. “I’m just like you, always putting on an act, pretending I’m somebody I’m not for money. Surely you understand that at least.”

“Are you saying you’re not an assassin?”

“I’m saying that I’m not kind or friendly. I was only acting that way to make the job easier. But I don’t need that anymore.” Bakugou rested his hand on Kirishima’s cheek. It was warm and he couldn’t help but lean into it.

Which was a mistake.

Bakugou’s fingertips slid down his cheek and along his neck.

Shivers danced along Kirishima’s spine in time with the movement of Bakugou’s touch. He was both scared and...something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Bakugou stepper forward and Kirishima stepped back more and more and more until he was against a bookshelf and couldn’t escape the intensity of Bakugou’s gaze. What was happening? Was the blond going to hurt him? Was he going to...kiss him? The air held a kind of tension that could have gone either way.

Bakugou leaned closer and closer until his lips were right next to Kirishima’s ear. His breath was hot against his skin.

“All that pretending and you don’t even know how to spot an imposter.” Bakugou said in a voice that was almost a purr but mostly a growl. “Maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation if you could.”

His fingers moved with more purpose now, finding the spot they were searching for. He pressed into Kirishima’s neck, into a pressure point.

The redhead’s entire body went limp, falling to the floor.

Blackness followed.


	19. Nineteen

“Xeno, I’m here to make a deal.” Bakugou was done playing. He had a life to get back to and he was sick off all these weird feelings that came with Kirishima’s idiot presence.

This ended now.

Xeno slithered around the corner into the warehouse, tall and lanky, with slicked back hair and a giant X on his massive forehead. His black coat drug along the floor, swishing with every movement. This guy was the embodiment of a cheesy anime villain. At least, that was what Bakugou would have thought if he watched anime. But Bakugou wasn’t a filthy weaboo.

“What kind of deal?” The slimy bastard asked with the cock of his eyebrow. God, he was ugly.

“I’ll turn a blind eye to whatever you’re doing with that movie, and give you the dumb actor, if you pay me double what he offered to protect him.”

“Bold move for an up and coming assassin. I hope you don’t plan to put that in your resume.”

“I’m thinking of spinning the story to make him sound like a psycho. He won’t be able to tell his side if he’s dead.”

“Ah, but who said I planned to kill him?” Xeno’s mouth twisted into a hideous grin, larger than the one he had before. “I plan on letting him finish this movie and keeping him as a pet. Good lab help is always hard to find these days.”

“I honestly don’t care what you do with him. As long as he doesn’t squeal.”

“He must have given you a ton of trouble.”

“Yeah and I’d like to get him off my hands as soon as possible. He’s gagged and bound in the trunk of my car if you’re willing to pay the price.”

“How very Barbaric of you.” This tic tac toe looking mother fucker’s impressed laugh made Bakugou want to vomit. “My doors are open if you’re ever looking for a job.”

“Tch.” Bakugou scoffed. “I’m only choosing the lesser of two evils here.”

“Being annoying is more evil than brainwashing all of humanity in order to pave the way for scientists to discover more things?”

“In my eyes, yeah. Anyway, is THAT all you’re doing with the brainwashing thing? Funding science? This loser had me convinced it was something evil.”

“The world would be a much better place if science was funded over, say, football, or the arts. We would have cured so many illnesses by now. We would be travelling the cosmos. But no. I’m not even allowed to make a single thing unless it can be approved for military purposes or make money.”

Yeah, fair enough. But he shouldn’t brainwash people over it.

“Plus I don’t want anybody to know I talk to ten year old Japanese boys on the internet and try to make them build weapons of mass destruction for me.”

Okay gross.

“Well, whatever. Are you going to write a check or not?”

“Why bother. I can give you cash right now. How much do you want?”

Bakugou smirked. “Fifty thousand.”

“Fifty? Ah, that’s a lot of money for something you want off your hands.”

“Might as well make him worth something.”

“An elegant answer. Stanly, go fetch fifty thousand from my safe.” Xeno commanded into a walkie talkie.

Good.

Now that Stanly was occupied, this was his chance.

Bakugou lifted his hand to the back of his head, scratching three times.

The signal.

A shot rang out through the warehouse, followed by Xeno’s course shout.

The target had been hit.

It was time to bail.

Mission accomplished.


	20. Twenty

A few days earlier:

“Are you sure you can’t just explain the situation to him?” Aizawa asked as he helped tie Kirishima to a wheeled chair.

“I tried that. He wouldn’t let me do it.”

“Like you have the communication skills for it.”

“You’re the one to talk.”

Aizawa scoffed at this. “Do you have all the pieces in place?”

“Yeah. I’ve got all the snipers hired and the idiot’s stunt double is going to sub in for him in the exchange if it comes to that.”

“You actually convinced a civilian to do something so dangerous?”

“Nah. He wasn’t a civilian. He does a lot of underground stuff on the side. Stunt doubling is only a front for him.” Bakugou shrugged. He hadn’t recognized Tetsutetsu at the set, but the resemblance clicked when he noticed the ad on the dark web.

“So you’re going to make Xeno let down his guard and then get rid of him and his brainwashing code at the same time?”

“And if we’re lucky, we can get some cash on the side.” Bakugou hoped. Paying all these people would be a hassle. Thankfully he had saved some up.

“What about after he fact? Are you just going to toss this kid back into his old life and hope there aren’t any lasting effects?”

“Of course not. I’ve got an expert on brainwashing on this team. I might as well wipe his memory and let him forget this even happened. I’ve already consulted his manager. Taishiro thinks it’s a good idea too.”

Aizawa didn’t look too pleased with this idea, but he kept his mouth shut. He knew that this stuff was barely his business to begin with.

“And you’re okay with it? You really seemed to relax around him.”

Bakugou pursed his lips, gaze explicitly avoiding the unconscious redhead in the room. “Exactly. I can’t afford to go soft. Bad things happen when I do.”

“You know, you’re not necessarily too young to retire from this. It’s better to do it when you’re young.”

“I can’t. I’ve been doing this for way too long. I started before I even had an identity of my own. I couldn’t move onto something else.”

“Just think about it.” Aizawa clapped him on the shoulder.

Bakugou wanted to think about it. He wanted to be the type who could drop everything to start a new life, but killing was all he knew. He wasn’t even that good at protecting. If he had been, they wouldn’t be about to smuggle his ward to an abandoned apartment building to hide him until this whole assassination happened. He intended to call the police anonymously once it was over so he could wash his hands of the situation and never bother with it again. There was a certain sadness to this parting. A side of him wished he could have a proper goodbye, a chance to say all the things that needed to be said.

But there was no time for that.

By this time next week, Kirishima wouldn’t even know Bakugou had existed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue next chapter


	21. Epilogue

Kirishima had spent a few days in the hospital, disoriented and dehydrated. From what he had been told, a gunman had snuck into the set and fired shots a week before and Kirishima had disappeared in the havoc. But Kirishima didn’t remember what had happened. He didn’t remember much about the last month or so, in fact, and it was bothering him.

He recalled waking up in an abandoned building with a handful of cops and paramedics around him, asking questions he couldn’t answer. There was a bullet wound on his shoulder he didn’t remember getting and he didn’t recognize the clothes on his body.

The entire situation was so terrifying. It made him feel sour all over.

“Taishiro...” he decided to bring up his idea on his last day in the hospital, “I think I should hire a bodyguard.”

“That’s a good idea, lad. I’ll line some trustworthy people up for you.”

“Thank you.”

The list of trustworthy candidates was short, only a few people with varied backgrounds and personality types. Taishiro gave Kirishima a folder of resumes before the interview, allowing him a little time to come up with questions. None of the potential hires really stood out to him. They were all strong looking, beaten and rugged from years of working on the job. He interviewed them all without much excitement. Was this what bodyguards were always like? Or was it just the good ones?

But then, when Kirishima had almost had enough, the final candidate had come in.

“Bakugou Katsuki?” He looked up from reading the name at the top of the resume and was surprised to see how young this one was.

“Yeah.” He was dropped down into the extra chair with the demeanour of a school boy in detention. He didn’t have he vibe of a bodyguard at all.

And yet, this intrigued Kirishima.

“So, you’ve only had one bodyguard position before this?”

“Well, yeah.”

“And how did it go?”

“Fine. I protected the guy. He’s still alive.”

“Right...” Kirishima scanned the resume again, trying to think of more questions. His curiosity for this guy was stronger than it had been for the others. “Why did you leave?”

“The job was done.”

“I see...” Kirishima nodded. “What made you want to continue?”

Bakugou hesitated at this. It was almost as if his facade was breaking. But then, it snapped back and he was cocky again.

“Because I’m good at it.”

“What made you pick me? Surely there are other people in the city who need guards.”

“Taishiro specifically requested me, so I came.”

“So you and Taishiro have a history?”

“You could say that.”

Kirishima gave a long nod. “Do you mind telling me how you met?”

“I do mind. It’s kind of a secret.”

“But it’s nothing to be worried about?”

Again, a hesitation, this time for longer. Was it suspicious that Bakugou wouldn’t talk about it or did it mean he was just being professional?

“You shouldn’t have to be.” He replied finally.

“When can you start?”

“What? Did I seriously get the job?”

“Did you think you wouldn’t?”

“Well...”

So the tough guy persona WAS an act...

“Are you going to take the job or not?”

“Yeah. Of course. Duh.” Bakugou rolled his eyes. Maybe it wasn’t an act after all.

“Well then, welcome to the team. I hope you can guard me well.”

“I hope so to.”

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m finally done aaaaa. I’m sorry it took so long. I’ve been doing a lot of oneshots trying to get employed and now I’m trying to move out without my mom knowing wish me luck.   
> Anyway, I could turn this into a two parter but part two might be as slow to update as this one was (actually maybe a little better because I’ll have internet once I move out but I’ll also be working.)   
> So do you wanna see the bodyguard dynamic continue or do you want to assume that they ended up happily ever after? I could also just add a sequel chapter which might work better but who knows.


End file.
